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Scots transport plan 'welcomed' by civils
15:47 19 Apr 2002
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by Carol Millett
Scotland's answer to the 10-year transport plan was given a qualified welcome by civil engineers this week.
The plan, coined Scotland's transport "Route Map" by transport minister Wendy Alexander, who announced it last week, reveals plans for a substantial programme of road and rail improvements around Scotland's three major cities.
But the Scottish branch of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) called for the plans to be translated into real projects as soon as possible. It also raised the question of how the plans are to be funded.
Alan Watt, director of CECA Scotland, said: "The Route Map demonstrates a genuine desire to tackle years of underinvestment in Scotland's transport infrastructure and we would now like to see its 'plans', 'examinations' and 'studies' become defined projects with costs and start dates.
"We will also be looking closely at the proposed funding arrangements in the light of the English experience where predicted levels of private finance have not always come up to expectations."
The programme includes the completion of the "missing link" dual carriageway sections of the A8 east of Glasgow, and the A80 north-east of the city, and plans to upgrade both routes to motorway status.
The A8 is expected to be upgraded by 2008 and the A80 by 2009, subject to studies to be completed this autumn.
In a move bound to create controversy, Alexander said tolls are among potential funding options for the roads. Sarah Boyack, the former transport minister, rejected a similar plan for the M8 in 1999 after it provoked fierce opposition.
Rail improvements are key to Scotland's Route Map. Alexander gave strong backing to the re-opening of the Edinburgh-Borders rail line. A bill is expected to be presented to the Scottish parliament at the turn of the year, with work starting in 2005 and completion in 2008.
The minister also confirmed a new 15-year ScotRail franchise from 2004, rather than a two-year extension to the current seven-year contract.
Other priorities include rail links to Edinburgh and Glasgow airports, to be opened in 2008 at the earliest.
Trams are planned for north and west Edinburgh, and extra rail services and more bus park-and-ride schemes for Aberdeen.
The planned £400m redevelopment of Waverley station in Edinburgh from 2004 also got the go-ahead but with a redesign to provide more space for Scottish, rather than cross-Border services.
Scotland's answer to the 10-year transport plan was given a qualified welcome by civil engineers this week.
The plan, coined Scotland's transport "Route Map" by transport minister Wendy Alexander, who announced it last week, reveals plans for a substantial programme of road and rail improvements around Scotland's three major cities.
But the Scottish branch of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) called for the plans to be translated into real projects as soon as possible. It also raised the question of how the plans are to be funded.
Alan Watt, director of CECA Scotland, said: "The Route Map demonstrates a genuine desire to tackle years of underinvestment in Scotland's transport infrastructure and we would now like to see its 'plans', 'examinations' and 'studies' become defined projects with costs and start dates.
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"We will also be looking closely at the proposed funding arrangements in the light of the English experience where predicted levels of private finance have not always come up to expectations."
The programme includes the completion of the "missing link" dual carriageway sections of the A8 east of Glasgow, and the A80 north-east of the city, and plans to upgrade both routes to motorway status.
The A8 is expected to be upgraded by 2008 and the A80 by 2009, subject to studies to be completed this autumn.
In a move bound to create controversy, Alexander said tolls are among potential funding options for the roads. Sarah Boyack, the former transport minister, rejected a similar plan for the M8 in 1999 after it provoked fierce opposition.
Rail improvements are key to Scotland's Route Map. Alexander gave strong backing to the re-opening of the Edinburgh-Borders rail line. A bill is expected to be presented to the Scottish parliament at the turn of the year, with work starting in 2005 and completion in 2008.
The minister also confirmed a new 15-year ScotRail franchise from 2004, rather than a two-year extension to the current seven-year contract.
Other priorities include rail links to Edinburgh and Glasgow airports, to be opened in 2008 at the earliest.
Trams are planned for north and west Edinburgh, and extra rail services and more bus park-and-ride schemes for Aberdeen.
The planned £400m redevelopment of Waverley station in Edinburgh from 2004 also got the go-ahead but with a redesign to provide more space for Scottish, rather than cross-Border services.
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